What Once Was Dead
by Resoan
Summary: A Crossover of Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Gun x Sword, and Trigun. Ever the bounty hunters, the crews of both Bebop and the Outlaw Star are after none other than Vash the Stampede. However, when familiar characters appear, circumstances change.


Crossover – Cowboy Bebop, Gun x Sword, Outlaw Star, & Trigun

Author's Notes: Ah, I do not own any of the above series either. I don't claim to, and neither an I making any money from this piece of fiction.

Chapter 1 – Gives Signals of Distress

"Aw, dammit, Jet. Isn't there anything else to eat around here?" Spike griped, a scowl on his face as he turned to the other man.

"Maybe if you'd stop whining and brought in some money we'd have more to eat," Jet pointed out, the muscular man currently underneath a broken console and doing his best to fix it, despite the lack of new or helpful instruments.

The familiar sound of the television caught Spike's attention as he stumbled into the adjoining room, Faye lounging on the couch as she yawned widely and continued to watch the two familiar figures on the tv screen.

"Well, that's just about it, isn't it....," the man was cut off when a piece of paper was quickly thrust into his hand, the man's eyes widening as he looked up at the camera. "Well, bounty hunters, today is your lucky day! The newest bounty in is worth a whopping sixty billion!" the man exclaimed, the woman to his left gasping. "We don't have a picture to go with, folks, but we're told the subject is on a backwater planet and goes by the alias Vash the Stampede. Good luck folks!" the broadcast finally finished, Faye finally sitting up and glancing behind to lock eyes with Spike.

"So, when are we leaving?" Faye smirked, getting to her feet. Spike merely scowled at her question, leaning back on the heel of one foot as his arms crossed over his chest.

"Who the hell put you in charge?" Spike asked her with a clearly annoyed tone, Faye's eyes rolling as her hands met her hips.

"You'd be an even bigger idiot than I thought if you let this one slip through your fingers," Faye told him, one of her hands lifting to the air and moving as she spoke. "You'd never have to work another day in your life," she then reminded him, quickly turning from him as she walked out of the room, Jet leaning against the door frame as he looked up at Spike.

"She's right, for once," Jet told Spike, the latter raking a hand through his hair before letting out a sigh.

"I know. But just how in the hell are we supposed to find the guy? All we got is a name...not even a place or a face!" Spike groaned, Ed stumbling into the room with Ein at her heels.

"Edward knows where he is," she volunteered the information, Ein barking almost as an affirmation of Ed's statement.

"Oh? And how do you know that?" Jet was properly skeptical, Ed grinning before heading to the computer console and typing in some sort of data rather quickly.

(POV Shift)

"I can't believe we're going all the way there," Jet still couldn't believe the data Ed had finally dug up on the 'Vash the Stampede' guy...if they didn't find him, it would probably waste sixty billion just getting to the damned place!

"Any idea how long it'll take?" Faye randomly showed up as Jet input the coordinates into the computer's database, leaning over the console.

"Heh, don't expect us to be there in a few minutes," Jet replied, getting to his feet and nearly stumbling when a sudden lurch shook the ship, his eyes narrowed as he made his way to the engine room, hoping the problem was minimal.

"Jet! There's smoke comin' from the engine room!" Spike told him, an irritated look on his face as he followed Jet and Faye to the cluttered and rundown room. "Damn. This place is trashed," Spike almost coughed on the smoke, his hand waving in front of his face to diffuse the gray clouds.

"The engine's fried...how the hell did this happen?" Jet wondered, a hand rubbing the back of his head curiously. "This'll cost an arm and a leg to fix," Jet sighed before leaving the room, intent on heading to the bridge and the radio in order to ask some nearby pilot for help.

"What's going on?" Edward stumbled into the bridge as soon as Jet sat down and took the radio in his hands.

"The engine's are fried, and I'm gonna try to contact someone to help tow us into a port so we can get everything fixed," Jet spoke distractedly, finally flipping on the radio and setting the frequency. "Hello? This is Jet of the Bebop. Our engines are shot and we have no way to move ourselves. If anyone has heard me, please respond," Jet finished, allowing the radio to time to respond and hearing only static.

(POV Shift)

"There appears to be a weak transmission twenty light years away, Gene," the mechanic voice known as Gilliam told the captain of the Outlaw Star. "Would you like me to hone in on the signal and hear out the request?" Gilliam continued, Gene groaning out loud.

"We're already behind as it is," Gene complained, running a hand through his short red hair.

"Aw, c'mon Gene. No one else has this data, and we're sure to be the first one's after this Vash the Stampede guy. Why not help out?" Jim asked casually, leaning back in his seat and setting his feet on the panel in front of him.

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't dirty the panel with your feet, Jim," Gilliam reprimanded the youngest crew member, Jim scowling before mumbling an affirmative answer and moving his feet.

"Go ahead and hone in on the signal, Gilliam," Gene gave the go-ahead, sighing before leaning back in his own chair.

"A ship called Bebop has engine failure, and asks for assistance. Shall I contact them and offer our services?" Gilliam relayed the message, Gene massaging his temples before thinking of some response.

"Fine. We got nothing to lose. Go ahead and respond, Gilliam," Gene instructed the ship, Gilliam acknowledging the command before handling the situation.

(POV Shift)

"Is this Bebop? I am Gilliam, of the Outlaw Star. We are offering to help you, if you could give us the coordinate data on where exactly you are," Gilliam's mechanical voice blared from the speakers on the console, Jet shocked out of his reverie before fumbling with the radio and speaking.

"This is Jet from Bebop. Thanks a lot! I'm sending the coordinates now," Jet told Gilliam, typing in the data and sending it to the outlying ship.

"So, someone heard your transmission, huh?" Faye commented, leaning against the console on the other side.

"Looks that way. Some ship called the Outlaw Star is coming and should be here soon," Jet finally heaved a relieved sigh, leaning back in his chair and practically tipping the thing over from lack of balance and his not-so-meager weight.

A slight beeping alerted Jet to a ship approaching, his lips twisting into a pleased expression. "They're on their way," Jet almost sneered at Faye, the scantily-clad woman merely rolling her eyes before moving away from the console and trudging back to the living area where the tv was housed.

(POV Shift)

"We're approaching the ship Bebop, Gene," Gilliam informed the captain, Suzuka and Aisha finally strolling through the bridge's door.

"What's going on?!" Aisha demanded with a growl, her eyes moving to the front and noticing the ship they were slowly approaching.

"We are helping the crew of that vessel; their ship has broken down," Gilliam informed the ctarl-ctarl, a groan leaving her lips.

"We're wasting time! We should be getting that sixty billion bounty already!" Aisha countered with an argumentative air, Gene scowling before turning to her.

"Oh shut up! You're not the captain here," Gene reprimanded her actions, another howl of irritation leaving Aisha's lips.

"Oh, fine! But you'll regret it!" she vowed as she left the bridge again, Suzuka watching with detached interest, an amused expression on her face.

"Gene, someone will have to approach and enter the Bebop if only to greet the crew and bring them aboard," Gilliam spoke, Gene nodding.

"Don't worry. I'll go," Gene waved off the ship's words, Jim's eyes rolling.

"Oh great. Just don't go getting in any fights, okay?" Jim called over his shoulder, Gene instantly springing to his feet.

"What was that?!" Gene exclaimed, irritated. After shaking his head and pointedly ignoring Jim's comments, Gene turned his attention to Gilliam. "Can you anchor them to us while I bring the crew on board?" Gene asked the computer, Gilliam's mechanical 'yes' drifting to his ears.

"Good. I'm going to go change...," Gene's voice trailed off as he moved from the bridge and down a few decks, finally happening across the space suits. He then quickly slipped into one of the suits, his own voice reverberating against the glass of the helmet as he moved to the lowest deck and waited for them to stop and anchor the ships together.

"You are clear to disembark and bring the members of the Bebop aboard, Gene," Gilliam's voice sounded in the deck, Gene nodding before pressing the button for the hatch to open. The distance between ships wasn't long, and Gene found it was rather easy to get there despite his lack of a cord of some type keeping him tethered to the Outlaw Star.

He quickly pulled off his helmet and released a sigh of relief when he entered the Bebop, Jet's bulky form greeting him with a half-smile. "Thanks again for the help," Jet spoke, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"No problem," Gene murmured with a sheepish smile, looking past Jet's shoulder for a sign of any others. "Are you alone on this ship?" Gene then asked, Jet's head shaking.

"Nope. Just wanted to make sure you weren't going to loot our ship and try to kill us or something before we got ready to board your ship," Jet's expression was grimly amused, Gene outright laughing before nodding.

"Nah. Not today, anyway," Gene was obviously joking, the larger man chuckling before nodding and heading back up a few stairs, Gene awkwardly watching before deciding to follow him.

(POV Shift)

Gene and the rest of the crew of the ship Bebop finally made it to the Outlaw Star some time later, Jet looking over the interior of the ship with nothing short of fascination. "This isn't any ordinary space ship," Jet murmured, his hand barely skimming across the metallic interior.

"It's a Grappler ship," Ed told him simply, Gene's eyebrow lifting.

"How the heck did you know that?" Gene asked, Ed merely grinning at him.

"Edward has seen one before," she answered with a few chuckles, Gene's eyes widening.

"Gene, please bring them to the Bridge," Gilliam instructed the pilot, the redhead nodding.

The group quickly changed out of their suits before heading up to the bridge, Gene not missing the provocative way Faye dressed though somehow able to keep from drooling on himself and the ground. "Took you long enough!" Aisha groused, her arms crossed over chest.

"Hey, shut it, will ya?" Gene glared, the ctarl-ctarl 'hmph'ing unhappily.

"Do you guys ever stop fighting?" Jim griped, sighing loudly behind the console he was operating.

"Are they always like this?" Faye whispered discreetly to Suzuka, the samurai nodding grimly as Faye sighed loudly.

"Wouldn't now be the opportune time to introduce everyone and determine which course to take?" Gilliam interrupted, the groups finally quieting upon hearing the mechanical voice.

"I guess you're right," Gene stated, a hand running through his hair.

"The name's Jim," the youngest of the Outlaw Star crew introduced himself, Spike and Faye glancing at each other before looking at him, not taking him seriously at all.

"Suzuka," the quiet samurai named herself next, inclining her head at the newest members, her eyes surveying them, silently appraising them.

"Aisha, of the ctarl-ctarl empire!" the girl's fangs showed in her large smile, Spike looking a little disbelieving.

"I've never even heard of that," Jet murmured quietly, Spike and Faye shaking their heads in agreement.

"Edward's name is Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV," the eccentric hacker announced, most of the crew of Outlaw Star giving her a strange look.

"Can you just tow us to the nearest port so we can our ship repaired?" Spike finally cut off the greetings, Jim and Aisha looking put off at the rather rude outburst.

"Of course," Gilliam answered methodically, easily plotting a course to the nearest space port.

(POV Shift)

"Milly! Come on! We're gonna miss the bus," Meryl called to her friend and associate Milly Thompson, the handle of her pink suitcase clutched in her hand.

"Coming Meryl!" Milly called, finally mailing a few letters to her family before catching up to the shorter insurance girl. "Where's Mr. Vash? I thought he was meeting us here," Milly then pointed out, Meryl sighing loudly.

"We're lucky he's going at all, considering his brother's with him," Meryl countered with a sigh, a hand threading itself through her short bangs.

"Mr. Vash said his brother was getting a lot better though, didn't he?" Milly then asked with another smile, a hint of one pulling at Meryl's own lips. "Oh! Mr. Vash! There you are," Milly finally spotted the blond-haired outlaw traipsing up the path, Meryl turning once Milly greeted the gunslinger.

"Sorry. Knives was giving me trouble," Vash answered with a sheepish chuckle, a hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Where is he?" Meryl then asked, noticing the twin's absence with a slight turn of her head.

"Asleep probably. Though I just wanted to tell you two that I can't go with you. With my luck, Knives would slaughter this town while I was gone," Vash told them with a small frown, the two insurance girls clearly disappointed. "Aw, c'mon. I'll see you again," Vash told them brightly, striking a pose childishly.

"We should go, Milly," Meryl finally spoke, her lips a small line as she lifted her head to view the spiky-haired blond. "Stay out of trouble, hmm? Otherwise we'll be back," Meryl taunted with a good-natured smile, finally turning away from him and heading towards the bus.

"Bye, Mr. Vash!" Milly called before following after her friend, the two making it to the bus shortly after the farewells. "Miss Meryl-" Milly's voice stopped abruptly when she noticed the small trail of tears flowing down the shorter woman's cheeks, her lips forming a frown before pulling her into a hug. "It'll be all right, Miss Meryl. We'll be back," Milly promised with a bright smile, Meryl's eyes lifting to give Milly a rather watery smile.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. Reviews are appreciated and encouraged.


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